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    Home » Recipes » Seafood Appetizers

    Little Plates – Grilled Shrimp, Stuffed Mushrooms and Bruschetta

    Published: Jan 5, 2013 · Modified: Jun 19, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley. This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    170 shares
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    5 from 4 votes
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    You’ll love my Little Plates!

    One thing I can say with certainty is that we definitely eat better than we did before I started blogging. Now I’m not saying that being a chef and the one doing all of the cooking at home that we didn’t eat well, but lets just say we didn’t eat quite as adventurously. That being said, every now and then we  have to take a little break, and eat a little lighter.

    Now that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or not as delicious, it just means we cut back a bit. For us what it means is eating in more of a European fashion,  and for this dinner that meant “Little Plates”  or Tapas.

    tomato and gorgonzola bruschetta on a white plate

    We started the night with a very simple but oh so tasty little plate of Bruschetta. A very simple dish consisting of toasted bread lightly oiled and rubbed with garlic, topped with chopped tomatoes, basil and gorgonzola picante crumbles.

    One of the great things about having a good source for cheese is being able to get a nice variety of artisan imported cheese. I do have to admit that until recently I never knew there were different types of gorgonzola cheese. I don’t know what category the generic variety we get at local supermarkets is closest to,  but Picante or Mountain which is aged longer and has a more pronounced flavor is definitely a much better product! And then there’s Dolce which is creamy and an almost spreadable version of gorgonzola, aged for 3 months with a milder sweeter flavor.

    grilled u-peel shrimp on white paper with a half a lemon and bowl of cocktail sauce

    We then moved on to another simply prepared dish,  grilled shrimp. Lightly oiled and seasoned with old bay, grilled for just a few minutes on each side and served with tangy cocktail sauce. I always use the shell on variety, which keeps the shrimp a little moister and adds to the fun of eating them. Not to mention that they look great with the shell on them!

    mushrooms stuffed with crab imperial on a white plate on top of yellow napkin

    But we finished up the meal with what was always one of the best selling appetizers in any of the restaurants I worked in and that was mushrooms stuffed with crab imperial. I’ll let you in on my secret for adding a little more flavor to this dish and that is to add a little marsala wine in the baking dish, the mushrooms will soak up that extra flavor and be exceptional!

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    u peel shrimp
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    5 from 4 votes

    Little Plates

    any of these appetizers would be a delicious way to start a meal. Make all three and you have a party!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 129kcal

    Ingredients

    • 8 medium to large mushroom caps
    • 3 ounces lump or claw crab meat
    • ½ teaspoon finely chopped Italian parsley
    • ½ teaspoon finely chopped red peppers
    • 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • ¼ teaspoon sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon old bay
    • 1 ounce marsala wine
    US Customary – Metric
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    Instructions

    • In a small bowl mix together, the mayonnaise, parsley, peppers, sugar, old bay and egg yolk. Blend well, this is your imperial sauce
    • Add imperial sauce to crab meat and fold together gently.
    • Pull stem our of mushroom cap, using a knife to clean out any pieces of the stem that might have stuck.
    • Cut a little off the bottom of the mushroom so it sits flat
    • Fill mushroom caps with crab imperial mixture mounding on top of the cap
    • Place in baking dish, and pour marsala wine in the bottom of the baking dish
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes

    Nutrition

    Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 655mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 84IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. Freya

      March 08, 2022 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      This just looks absolutely delicious and straightforward to make too! The perfect dish for summer!

      Reply
    2. anne

      January 07, 2013 at 6:08 pm

      We always say that we eat better now too, although we never eat the same thing twice 🙂

      Reply
    3. Louise

      January 06, 2013 at 4:48 pm

      That’s a great idea for stuffed mushrooms – what does the marsala wine do? Keep the mushrooms moist and add some flavor? Could it be replaced with something like chicken or vegetable broth?

      Reply
      • Chef D

        January 06, 2013 at 5:01 pm

        hi Louise, yes you could substitute stock for the wine, it just gives the mushrooms some flavor and helps them from drying out.

        Reply
    4. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen

      January 06, 2013 at 11:16 am

      5 stars
      What a great idea from such simple ingredients! Thanks for sharing, Chef Dennis! I’ll definitely try this soon.

      Reply
    5. Joan Nova

      January 06, 2013 at 9:48 am

      That’s my favorite way of eating … off it revolves around leftover vegetables, cheese and a chunk of bread.

      Reply
    6. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen

      January 06, 2013 at 9:24 am

      oooh Bruschetta is my favorite to make and enjoy at home 🙂

      Reply
    7. Jen @ Savory Simple

      January 06, 2013 at 9:12 am

      They all sound fabulous!

      Reply
    8. Happy Ramblings

      January 06, 2013 at 4:32 am

      5 stars
      What a perfect meal of all things that I like! My mouth is watering. I will be making the Bruschetta for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for giving me the idea. 🙂

      Reply
    9. Laura (Tutti Dolci)

      January 06, 2013 at 12:09 am

      I love tapas dinners, everything looks scrumptious!

      Reply
    10. Kristina

      January 05, 2013 at 11:47 pm

      5 stars
      we love tapas dinners here, too, and simple dinners. sometimes that means a bottle of wine, a baguette, and a brie.

      everything here looks fantastic – I love the sound of the (marsala’d) mushrooms!

      cheers!

      Reply
    11. Liz @ YUM at first bite

      January 05, 2013 at 11:45 pm

      I love stuffed mushrooms and can’t wait to try these. Bruschetta is another favorite and I also add the Gorgonzola. Next time, try adding some small cubes of Avocado with all the other ingredients. Soooo good!

      Reply
    12. Mary

      January 05, 2013 at 10:59 pm

      Those stuffed mushrooms sound fantastic. I love everything about these tapas.

      Reply

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    My name is Dennis Littley or “Chef Dennis” as I’m known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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